ARIZONA, USA — Two brothers from the Phoenix area are attempting something that no one in recorded history has tried: halfway through their journey of swimming in one lake in each of the 50 states in under 30 days, all for a good cause.
For brothers Joe and John Zemaitis, this is a dream come true.
“We've been in the water over 70 hours in the last 12 days,” said Joe Zemaitis. “So, it's been quite the schedule.”
That’s 10 kilometers, or a swimming marathon for each lake, usually twice a day. The pair started in Hawaii, then flew to Alaska, and now they are traveling across the continental United States, hitting one lake in each state.
The goal is to raise awareness and donations for USA Swimming Foundation and its efforts to teach water safety and prevent drownings.
“With August being Drowning Impact Awareness Month, I think it's kind of the perfect time to focus on water safety and support the USA Swimming Foundation,” Zemaitis said.
Though the goal is to raise money and awareness for water safety, Joe has found some self-discovery in this trip as well.
“I mean, sometimes you don't try to overthink things but when our alarm goes off and you’re just working on a couple of hours sleep, and it's time to get up and swim another marathon,” Joe said. “You get up and get going. In the first 10 to 15 minutes I feel real sore during one of these swims. But you know, after that time that just kind of loosens up and gives me a chance to enjoy my surroundings and swim strong.”
The brothers plan to finish their Swim-A-Thon Saturday at Lake Pleasant.
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